Acetylene-gas generator.



Patented Oct. l6, I900.

.1. H. LANCASTER. vAGETYLENE GAS GENERATOR.

(Application filed Oct. 9, 1899.)

(Ho Model.)

WITNESSES INVE N T DR fizz. M v. MW

w: NORRIS PEYERS co.v pumaumo. WASHINGTON. g. c.

Harman STATES ATnNT Fries}.

JAMES H. LANCASTER, on NEW YORK, N. Y.

ACETYLENE-GAS GENERATOR;

SPECIFICATIONforming part of Letters Patent No. 659,680, dated October 16, 190( Application filed October 9, 1899- Serial No. 732,984L. kllo model.)

To (all whmn it 'ntcty concern:

Be it known that 1, JAMES H. LANCASTER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Acetylene- Gas Generators, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates generally to portable lamps in which the illuminant used is generated in the lamp itself, and more particularly to lamps in which acetylene gas is the illuminant.

The object of my invention is to construct a safe, inexpensive, and e'fficient portable lamp; and to this end the invention consists, first, in a generating'compartment surrounded by a water tank or jacket, said tank having an inverse water-sealed fluid-inlet and a passage having a hand-regulated means for feeding the water from the jacket to the generating-compartment, the same passage serving to conduct gas from the generating-chamber to the watercompartment; second, in

auxiliary means whereby the watersupply may be replenished without disturbing the operation of the lamp; third, in an improved gas and water tight cover embodying gas-purifyingand gas-inlet means; fourth, in the gen eral arrangement and combination of the different elements, all tending to produce a greater harmony of cooperation and regulation between said elements.

In the accompanying drawings 1 have shown my invention applied toa miners lamp; but it will of course be understood that by so doing I do not confine myself to the exact construction shown, said construction only facilitating the explanation of my invention.

In said drawings, Figure l is a sectional view of a miners lamp embodying myinvention. Fig. 2 is a detail view of the grooved plug regulating the water-supply to the carbid. Fig. 3 is a modification of the waterinlet plug.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the different views.

I shall describe a miners lamp adapted to the use of acetylene gas embodying my invention and afterward point out the novel features in the claims.

A indicates a shell forming the main body of the lamp provided with an internally screwcut portion a, into which the cover (1?, supporting the upper ventilating portion B of the lamp, is screwed. The shell is further pro vided with a water tank or jacket 0, sur rounding said shell,'in which the water used in the generation of the gas is stored.

The tank is formed with two or more downward ly-projecting hollow bosses c and c communicating with said tank, one of which, 0, is conically formed inside and has a'passage 0 leading into the shell A. Into this conical portion is fitted a corresponding plug 0 having an L-shaped passage 0 and provided with a knob 0 so that communication between the water-tank C and the shell A may be had at the will of the operator simply by bringing the passage 0 intoalinement with the passage c A detention-spring c is provided for retaining the knob in any desired position. The other boss 0 has a tightfitting threaded cover 0 D is an inside shell provided with perforations cl and in which the carbid is contained.

E is a gas and water tight cover composed of a lower part 6, having a vertical guidingflange e and a horizontal annular flange e and having also a screw-cut hollow spindle e and a screw-cut projection 2 serving as a continuation of the spindle. This projection, however, is not tubular throughout, but two or more passages e branch off from this tubular portion at an angle to same, said passages being perforated throughout. It is further composed of an upper part 2 mountedon the spindle e and provided with a conical flange a between which and the flange 6 a rubber gasket or ring e has been inserted. It further consists of a lowermost part e in the shape of a shallow dish having perforations e and having a central screw-cut bushing e fitting into the extension 6 In this shallow dish is placed suitable filtering material 9 for the gas to pass through. A thumbscrew a, tightening the parts together as they rest upon the shell D, is also provided, and an additional screw-cut extension 8 carryinga suitable burner e, is attached to the uppermost part of the spindle c, said hollow spindle communicating with said burner.

The superstructure of the lamp is of a wellknown construction provided with a locking device I) and need not be described here.

In the use of my lamp the superstructure B isfirst removed, then the gas and water tight cover E and the inside shell D. The shell A is now turned upside down and water introduced into the water-tank by removing the cap 0 care being taken that the passage leading from the water-jacket to theshell A is closed. When the tank has been partially filled with water, the cap 6 is replaced and the receptacle turned right side up, thus water sealing the passage through which the water was introduced. The inside shell-D is now inserted and partially filled with carbid and the tight-fitting cover E placed and tightened in position. \Vater is now introduced into the shell A by opening the plug e the water passing from thence through the perforation d into the shellD. The gas produced passes out into the shellA again and enters the lowermost part 6 through perforations e and passes through the filtering material up through the inclined passage a into the hollow spindle e and from thence to the burner e The gas is then lighted and the superstructure B added and looked over the liame. Should the gas-pressure in the carbid-holder become too great, the gas will seek a second outlet and will pass through the passage leading from the watertank to the carbid holder and bubble up through the water in the tank until the pressure in the two compartments is equal.

In Fig. 3 I have shown a modification of the plug a It simply consists in perforating the plug with a non-return fluid check-valve 0 so. that the water-supply may be replenished without disturbing the operation of the lamp or the water seal, the fluid passing through said valve into thehollow boss 0 communicating with the water-tank. If for any reason diificulty should be experienced in feeding the water to the carbid, compressed air may be introduced through this same valve 0 likewise without disturbing the operation of the lamp.

From the above it will thus be seen that I have provided a safe, inexpensive, and eflicient portable lamp requiring but little attention and admirably adapted to all uses where portable lights are utilized, and particularly to minors lamps.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. In an acetylene-gas generator the combination of a main body forming the generating-chamber, a water-tank surrounding said main body and formed integrally with same, a downwardlyprojecting hollow extension from said tank adjacent to the wall of the main body, a passage-Way formed in the wall separating the main body and the extension of the water-tank, a rotatable plug inserted in said extension, a passage-way formed in said plug for admitting water to the .main body from the water-tank when in alinement with the passage-way of the wall of the main body, and a second downwardly-projecting extension from said water-tank provided with a removable plug forming an inverse watersealed inlet for said water-tank, substantially as described.

2. A removable cover, comprising three superposed parts, mounted on a common hollow spindle closed at its lower end, substantially as described.

3. A removable cover comprising three superposed parts, a hollow spindle closed at its lower end formed integrally with the lower part, annular flanges on the upper and lower parts and a rubber gasket introd uced between said flanges, substantially as described.

at. In a removable cover comprising three superposed parts, a hollow spindle closed at the bottom formed integrally with the lower part, a lowermost part containing filtering material, perforations in said lower part, and a plurality of passageways leading from said lower part to the tubular portionof the spindle, substantially as described.

5. In an acetylene-gas lamp a combined removable gas and water tight cover and filter, comprising three superposed parts, a hollow spindle closed at the bottom, and having a screw-cut extension, formed integrally with the lower part, a lowermost part comprising a shallow dish with a screw-cut bushing fitting into the screw-cut extension of the spindle, and having a perforation, and a plurality of passage-ways leading from the tubular portion of thespindle to the lowermost part, substantially as described. i

6. Inan acetylene-gas lamp comprising a main body, a water-tank surroundingl said main body and an inverted water-sealed waterinlet, inverted water-sealed fluid-introducing means adapted to be actuated without disturbing the operation of the lamp, substantially as described. 1 i

7.. In an acetylene-gas lamp, a removable threaded plug, having a fluid-valve inserted, substantially as described. 3

Signed at New York, in the countyot New York and State of New York.

JAMES H. LANCASTER.

Witnesses:

ABEL V. BEEKEN, WILLIAM G. LOWRIE. 

